records, and lately, his variations on sea chanteys (he recently toured England and appeared on Late Night with David Letterman to promote a CD—made with Bono, Lucinda Williams, and Johnny Depp, among others—inspired by Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean movies). Add his own songs, stories, and word games to the mix, and it’s no surprise that Gramps’s fans are a disparate lot; he’s as much at home playing a kids’ concert as he is opening for Phish or the Neville Brothers. —John Ross
Because of him… Today’s Seattle audiences know about old blues and novelty songs that the rest of the world has mostly forgotten.
Now hear this: Gramps’s Same Ol’ Timeously CD converts the kiddie tune “Teddy Bears’ Picnic” into a wild jug band epic complete with kazoos.